Saturday, June 4, 2016

Woke up to the news of Ali's death. Here's my feeling early in the morning:

Houston, Texas, June 20, 1967. He was Cassius Clay then. The jury
deliberated for twenty-one minutes. They found him guilty, fined him $10,000,
took his passport, and gave him the knowledge that he faced five years in jail.

"Shoot them for what?" he said after he refused induction into the
military to go fight in Vietnam. "They never called me nigger. They never
lynched me. They never put dogs on me. They didn't rob me of my nationality,
rape and kill my mother and father. What do I want to shoot them for, for what?
Why do I want to go shoot them, poor little people and babies and children and
women? How can I shoot them? Just take me to jail."

I was seven years old that day. June 20 is my birthday. It was the
background noise on our fuzzy little black and white TV in our little one
bedroom apartment in our little town in Indiana. Walter Cronkite reported the
news. But I noticed when a man said what he meant and meant what he said. After
that, whenever he was on the TV, I would stop and listen. At least before the
channel was changed or the TV was turned off. Cassius Clay was no hero in our
house. He was un-American for not going to war. But he was a hero to me. Even
then, even when I didn’t really know why.

“I am the greatest. I said that even before I knew who I was,” he said. You
always see that quote without the second sentence. But he was quick to tell you
that he made himself. And the deeper truth was that if he could do it, so could
you, so could anyone. Change your mind, change your world. "It's the
repetition of affirmations that leads to belief. And once that belief becomes a
deep conviction, things begin to happen."

Those were different days back in the 1960s and 1970s, full of turmoil,
uncertainty and fear. Much like now. We needed heroes, though not everyone
agreed. I heard the hate directed his way, saw it in the world I lived in every
day. I can’t imagine what it must have been like to face it. "Don't count
the days, make the days count," he said, and he did. Hate is louder these
days. There will be those who echo the past, say he was no hero. Maybe not to
them. That’s okay. But can we have some silence? For just a moment?

He changed his name, not who he was. After the fights were over, his gentleness
shined even brighter. We were all looking then. “The man who views the world at
50 the same as he did at 20 has wasted 30 years of his life," he said. Age
took its toll, but bitterness never set in. He said he wouldn’t change a thing.
And that makes him a hero as much as anything else he ever did or said.

Muhammad Ali was mortal in the end, just like us all. A man from humble
beginnings who believed that there were no bounds, no limitations for himself
or anyone else. It was him, among many others, who taught me to never give up,
to believe in the things that will happen because of conviction and unwavering
belief. It was Ali who helped teach me the power of words and the power of
love. Millions of voices are saying the same thing today. And they should. I’m
glad to have walked the earth at the same time as him. Thank you. Thank you,
for fighting the fight, for standing up when you were told to stand down. Thank
you, Mr. Ali, for changing yourself and for changing the world.

"The man who has no imagination has no wings." Muhammad Ali
(1942-2016)

Monday, May 9, 2016

My 12th novel,See Also Deception (Seventh Street Books), will be published tomorrow (May 10, 2016). This is
the second Marjorie Trumaine Mystery featuring my freelance indexer amateur
sleuth. What a fast,
strange, wonderfully interesting trip it has been.

To be honest, for a long time, my goal was just to publish
one novel with a major publisher.I
became really serious about that effort in the early 1990s, after writing a string of
short stories, getting close to publication, and finding a little success in the
small press.Along the way, a rejection
slip would come along with some encouraging hand-written words:“Close, keep trying.”Or “This was a really good story but I just
bought one that is similar.”Those were
sparks that fed the flame, that made the walk to the mailbox a little easier,
especially when I retrieved a brown envelope that wore the stamps I had put on
it so it would come back to me.Those
were the days before email, when there was a cost to sending out stories, and
when every penny counted as Rose and I struggled along early in our marriage. There were sacrifices, life-changing decisions made during this time,
and every time I was about to throw in the towel, another spark would come
along to prevent it.An agent was interested
in seeing my work, or another hand-written rejection slip found its way to the
mailbox.

I found joy in writing.My fingers longed to touch the typewriter keys
(and then a keyboard) like a musician longs to strum the strings of a guitar.Magic happened.And the rejection slips kept coming in.Year after year.I scrubbed toilets, worked at whatever job I
could, to help keep a roof over our head.Rose
worked, too, every day, without complaint.At lunch I would steal away and write down ideas, write snippets of
stories, and then I would go home, eat dinner, and make a beeline to my
desk.I was obsessed and determined. But
you know what?It wasn’t about the money
or the fame that people perceive that writers have.It was about the art of storytelling.I was trying to figure how to do it.And instead of going to college and getting
an MFA, I read a lot and I wrote a lot.It
seemed the best way for me to learn.

Somehow, we managed to scrape up the money for me to go to conferences or workshops, and I
began to meet other writers.I wrote a
mystery novel, and I sent that novel into the Malice Domestic Best Traditional
Mystery contest sponsored by St. Martin’s, and headed up by the legendary
editor, Ruth Cavin.This was in 1994 or
1995.I didn’t win, but I was a
finalist.Another spark.That novel, that close call, garnered me an
agent.A real New York literary
agent.I was on my way. Except, I wasn’t.The agent sent the book around while I wrote
another.He wasn’t real thrilled with
the second, hadn’t sold the first one, and we parted ways a few years
later.It was about this time that I
began to learn to index.That took a lot
of my time, especially when I saw that I liked indexing books, and saw a way to
make a living at it.I still read novels
and wrote, but not at the pace I had been.

The fire inside still burned, and eventually, I wrote a
short story that I was asked to write.“Can
you write a modern-day mystery story featuring a Texas Ranger character?”Of course, I could.I wrote the story, sent it in, and it was
published in a Western anthology published by Berkley, edited by Ed Gorman and
Martin H. Greenberg (how many writers got their start from this dynamic
duo?A ton!).It was my first professional sale and
publication as a writer.That was in
2004.Fourteen years after I gotten “serious”
about being a writer.To my shock and amazement, that story, “The
Promotion” went on to win the WWA (Western Writers of America) Spur award. I
had written a mystery, not a Western. But I was on my way.I met another agent, and
she took me on in 2005. She began to send
out my work.And nothing happened.More rejections.I kept writing, indexing, and gathering
sparks.I wrote another short
story.“See Also Murder.”It was a finalist for the SMFS (Short Mystery
Fiction Society) Derringer Award.It was
Marjorie’s debut, and I was encouraged to write a proposal for a novel and series.My agent sent it out.Nothing.Three years later, I got the call every writer dreams of.“I got an offer for your novel.”It was for The Rattlesnake Season.A
paperback Western for Berkley.I said
yes and in 2008 and the novel was published in 2009.Nineteen years after I had started.The
first Marjorie book, See Also Murder,
sold in 2014, ten years after the short story was first published.

Why do I tell you this now?Eight years later when I am publishing my twelfth novel?Because a pursuing a dream is a journey, that’s
why. It takes time.If it had been about the money,I would have quit a long time ago.I don’t think the need for money or fame can
sustain the desire to create, to write, or make art, or play music, or whatever
it is one needs to do to be an artist.Writing is an
addiction, a need, and completes me in ways that I can’t even begin to
describe.The sacrifices of time, of not spending enough time with friends and family has been huge.I’ve missed a lot of things, making up my “little stories” as somebody
once said about what I do in a not so nice way.And I have
regrets, but honestly I wouldn’t change a thing.Not that I could.Being a writer is my place in the world, and
I know how lucky I am to have found that.

A couple of other things.During this time, the publishing industry has gone through some major,
dramatic changes.Most of the publishers
who rejected me early on, and even recently (yes, I still get rejections) no
longer exist.Books are delivered in a myriad
of ways now that I could not imagine in 1990.My work is pirated on a daily basis, and the money is hardly what most
people think it is.This is not
Hollywood, it’s reality.I’m a working
writer who could STILL not survive without working at another job.Which happens to be indexing, and that world
is just as precarious and uncertain as the writing world.Two parts still make a wonderful whole for me. I spend
as many hours at my desk as I ever have.Probably more.I work more, not
less, to survive.

And that takes me to my final point, about why I really
wrote this essay.I couldn’t have done
any of this alone.At every stumble, at
every bad turn, Rose, my wife of thirty-two years, has been there for me, offering
advice, comfort, and a swift kick in the pants when I needed it the most.She has been my toughest critic and my
greatest cheerleader.Rose has given me
more support and encouragement than I have ever had from any one person in my
life. She has believed in my storytelling ability from the start.When I said I wanted to be writer, that that
would make me happy in my life, she said, “So be a writer.” And she meant
it.Granted, there are times when I don’t
think she knew what she was getting herself into, but she’s never wavered.She sees the all of the
rejection slips, the not so nice reviews, the five dollar royalty checks, and urges me
on.It’s not about the money for her,
either.It’s about the life we’ve built,
about the possibility of the future, of what’s next, just around the
corner.Rose has not only been my first
reader, but my ideal reader.I write for
her as much as I do for myself, and all I can say is thank you, and keep on
writing.

And I say thank you to my agent who has stuck with me since
2005, all of the editors and production teams I have worked with, reviewers
(who have gave me good and bad reviews), fellow writers, and most importantly,
the readers who have offered me the spark when I needed it the most.You all have changed my life. Success isn’t money or fame to me.It’s about being the best writer I can be.It’s about persistence and determination and
love.Success is about loving what you
do so much that you can’t quit, and loving all of those who encourage you on,
one step at a time. So, thank you, again.All of you.I hope you like the new book.

Monday, April 18, 2016

So, the first play I was ever in was "Rosencranz and Guildenstern are
Dead." I was in junior high school, seventh grade, but it was a high
school play. I was one of the Tragedians. Kris Estep Ginley
came to Math class and told me I got the part. I couldn't believe it.
That was the real start for me, the exploration of art, of character,
and the pursuit of a dream larger than I could grasp. I was involved in
theater for the rest of my time in high school. It saved me, gave
me a community where I belonged, a place to be safe, where I could be
myself. It was the 1970s in a little high school in a Midwestern town,
surrounded by corn fields, and we were doing a Tom Stoppard play.
Amazing. Lucky. A million words can't describe the good fortune of
being in the right place at the right time. We had a great time. We
had a great teacher (thank you, Ron Clark),
and a priceless education that we took for granted. Teachers change
lives... Art changes minds. I'm still chasing the dream. And I will
love Rosencranz and Guildenstern for all of eternity (It never stops!).

Monday, April 11, 2016

Here's some info for the upcoming release of the second Marjorie Trumaine novel, SEE ALSO DECEPTION (Seventh Street Books):

SEE ALSO DECEPTION: A MARJORIE TRUMAINE MYSTERY

Larry D. Sweazy’s 12th published novel, See Also Deception, features freelance indexer and North Dakota farm wife, Marjorie Trumaine, who first appeared in the critically acclaimed See Also Murder (05/2015). The novel will be released on May 10, 2016. Book signings are listed below.

ABOUT:

October 1964—Just months after freelance indexer Marjorie Trumaine helped solve a series of murders in Dickinson, North Dakota, she is faced with another death that pulls her into an unwanted investigation. Calla Eltmore, the local librarian, is found dead at work and everyone considers it suicide. But Marjorie can't believe that Calla would be capable of doing such a thing. Marjorie's suspicions are further aroused when she notices something amiss at Calla's wake, but the police seem uninterested in her observations. Despite pressing job commitments and the burden of caring for a husband in declining health, Marjorie sets out to uncover the truth. What she finds is a labyrinth of secrets—and threats from someone who will kill to keep these secrets hidden.

PRAISE:

“A satisfying sequel.” — Publishers Weekly

“The second of the Marjorie Trumaine Mystery novels does not disappoint. Marjorie is a strong, fairly independent woman –still somewhat unusual in 1964 –which sets her up as an appealing heroine… The setting is perfect for the desolation that Marjorie struggles with, and her love/hate relationship with what her life has become. **** –COMPELLING” - RT Reviews

“Brimming with atmosphere and filled with well-drawn characters, See Also Deception is bound to delight mystery readers everywhere. Marjorie Trumaine rings as solid and true as any heroine ever created.” —SUSAN CRANDALL, bestselling author of Whistling Past the Graveyard

Monday, March 21, 2016

"Spring has returned. The Earth is like a child who knows poems." -- Rainer Maria Rilke

Shaking the gray, gloomy grip of winter is always welcome around our house. I like winter, the silence of it, the solitude, but it can linger too long, even for my liking. This past winter was mild and the best kind of winter to bring a new pup into the house. Kassi has done well, adjusted and matured into our routine so that it is like she has always been there. Now that it's spring, she is ready to go. I'm looking forward to a great many new adventures with her and Sunny as we continue our daily walks. The truth is, we all need to get out of the house a little more. And that is part of the lengthening days and the warming of the sun that I enjoy the most. The renewed hope of what is to come. In spring, anything is possible. We all need that after the deep silence of winter. It's like starting with a blank page. Happy Spring.

Spring has returned. The Earth is like a child that knows poems.
Read more at: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/spring.html

Spring has returned. The Earth is like a child that knows poems.
Read more at: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/spring.html

Spring has returned. The Earth is like a child that knows poems.
Read more at: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/spring.html

Spring has returned. The Earth is like a child that knows poems.
Read more at: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/spring.html

Spring has returned. The Earth is like a child that knows poems.
Read more at: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/spring.html

About Me

Larry D. Sweazy
(pronounced: Swayzee) is a two-time winner
of the WWA (Western Writers of America) Spur award. He won for
Best Short Fiction in 2005 for the short story,
"The Promotion" and in 2013 for The Coyote Tracker(Josiah Wolfe, Texas Ranger #5) for Best Original Mass Market Paperback. He was nominated for a SMFS (Short
Mystery Fiction Society) Derringer award in 2007. His first novel, The Rattlesnake Season (Josiah Wolfe #1), was a finalist in the Best Books of 2010 Indiana literary competition. His second novel, The Scorpion Trail (Josiah Wolfe #2) won the 2011 Will Rogers Medallion Award for Western Fiction and the 2011 Best Books of Indiana literary
competition in the fiction category. The Scorpion Trail (Josiah Wolfe #2) is the only Western to win
the Best Books of Indiana. The Cougar's Prey (Josiah Wolfe #4) won the 2012 Will Rogers Medallion Award for Western Fiction, making Larry a two-time back-to-back
winner of the award. He has published over 60 non-fiction articles and short stories, which have appeared in Ellery
Queen's Mystery Magazine;Boys' Life; Hardboiled;
Amazon Shorts, and several other publications and
anthologies. Larry is the author of ten novels, including books in the Josiah Wolfe, Texas
Ranger series, the Lucas Fume series (Berkley), a standalone thriller, The Devil's Bones (Five Star), and the Marjorie Trumaine Mystery series (Seventh Street Books). He is member of ITW (International Thriller
Writers), MWA (Mystery Writers of America), and WWA (Western Writers of America). He lives in Indiana with his wife, Rose.